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Within the quiet atmosphere of a lounge near London's Royal Ballet, Matthew Ball requests a mint tea. His posture is naturally straight-backed, his limbs muscular beneath a plain white T-shirt. On stage, ballet dancers can seem as powerful gods, yet frequently offstage they are small. Not so Ball, whose tall stature is one reason for his demand for princely characters and pas de deux work. With delicate traits and piercing eyes, there's a hint of Robert Pattinson about him.

An Apparent Ascent to the Pinnacle

Now 31, Ball is enjoying the peak of a career that has advanced smoothly. Raised in Liverpool, he encountered minimal ridicule for his childhood passion in ballet. Entering the esteemed training institution at 11, he graduated straight into the company and was advanced annually, reaching the highest position of lead dancer in 2018. He has relished taking on substantial characters, especially the emotional angst found in a famed choreographer's ballets.

"Your lungs are burning, your legs get heavy, but it’s really a neural fatigue."

Ball's next featured role is in a talk, in an "In Conversation" event designed to offer behind-the-scenes insights into a dancer's art. He will guide the crowd through a part, demonstrating his cognitive workflow while performance. Even in lighter ballets, the challenge is profound. "A classic ballet is one of the most demanding from a skill perspective," he notes.

The Psychological Game and Post-Performance Emotions

What about after a performance, when he has pulled it off? "It feels pretty good," he admits. "However because I'm trying to squeeze all the juice out of it, and get lost in the role, quite often I do feel self-conscious afterwards. After an intense role I'm always thinking: God, what must people think?"

Offstage, Ball is reflective, polite, and prone to laugh at himself. Yet a dance maker once remarked on a "sense of suffering in him." Does this exist? "I am very energetic usually, but I do have a melancholy streak," he confesses. "I somewhat enjoy pessimism sometimes. I've always felt that doubt has been an instigator for good change."

Formative Drivers and Artistic Influences

Ball's tenacity stemmed from early experiences. Not doing well in contests at school made him "driven!" This became motivation to demonstrate he could achieve. Reading the book *Mao's Last Dancer* was a "watershed" moment. "It changed everything, it made me go a bit fanatical," he recalls.

An upcoming challenge is making his own dance works. For Ball, "organic movement has value." "Breaking the rules is compelling, but just acting that they’re not a thing any more – I don’t know how far you can go with that." He aims his work to be loaded with meaning, drawing ideas from literature, compositions, and art.

Close-Up Dance and Private Partnership

He also favors presenting dance in more intimate spaces. "It was just really thrilling," he says of a previous experience. "You’re so close to the audience. I felt as if they were realizing: 'That’s a human, and they’re sweating.'"

Ball has made pieces with his partner, fellow principal Mayara Magri. The level of trust between them is evident. "We first practiced on a beach," he says of a audacious lift. "It resembled Dirty Dancing." They aren’t usually paired on stage at their home company, which might be beneficial. "We’re both quite strong-willed people, so it’s not always hunky dory," he admits. "Yet I feel like we’re each other’s favorite supporter."

Regarding Instagram and Physical Image

On Instagram, followers can see videos from his dance films and images that showcase a sculpted form. Does he care that the response can be somewhat objectifying? Not particularly. "The body is just what we use, so I don’t feel very precious about it," he explains. He compares it to seeing Michelangelo’s David—something that can be seen on various ways.

Ball describes his younger self as "eager for success." Has it met his hopes? "I am conscious of how reality is a separate reality to the aspirations you had as a young person," he reflects. He likely has about decade of performing left. "I guess in the time to come, I want to be a bit more gentle with myself."